The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-03
soME MEN OF THE SOUTH.

The favorite rendezvous of the statesmen
of South Carolina in Charleston is the
Charleston Hotel, still grand, gloomy and
peculiar, with its large pillars and its spa
cious piazzas and square area, like the
Louvre Hotel in Paris. This hotel is still
owned by the Keitt family, one of its most
distinguished members, Lawrence M.
Keitt. being well remembered for his
assault in the Senate chamber of the United
States upon Charles Sumner when a Sena-
Tor in Congress, an occurrence second only
to the effect of the guns trained ON Fort
Sumter in firing the Northern heart and
causing the late unpleasantness, now. thanks
TO the rapid growth of the new South, only
TO be commented on or criticised by the his
toriails who are pleased to wander in the
dim aisles of the past.
In the Charleston Hotel, occasionally wet
ting their whistles with corn whisky, the
favorite South Carolina beverage, could be
found during the sessions of the United
States Court two men still prominent in the
politics of the old Palmetto State. One was
Judge R. B. Carpenter, the other Samuel
Melton, then and now United States District
Attorney of that State
JUDGE CARPENTER
Judge Carpenters history has been varied
and romantic. He was prosecutor of the
Pleas in one of the interior counties of Ken
lucky, and first won his legal spurs through
his brilliant prosecution of Matt WARD, who
was tried for the murder of Butler, a school
teacher, educated at Hanover College, Ind,
who had inflicted personal chastisement
upon a brother of Matt Ward, who was a
scholar in Buffers Institute in Louis
vile Ward was acquitted after des-
perate legal battle. contested inch by inch.
and it is said that it was in this famous
case that Tom Marshall got even with a
Kentucky Judge. Tom Marshall was the
brother of Humphrey Marshall, onco 4
member of Congress, and chiefly remem-
bered, as to his military career, for the
rapidity of the movements of his command
in getting away from Gen Garfield up the
Tennessee valley, bGartield having driven
Marshall before his small but victorious
army out of the State of Tennessee. Tom
Marshall rs, the wittiest man Kentucky
ever produced. and perhaps the brainiest,
and he persisted Intellectually, like many
another child of genius, from the rapid
growth of his fondness for blue grass
whisky.
He was always political rival of Rev.
Dr. Robert ]. Breckenridge, the eminent
patriot, whose dignifed presence as tempo
rary president of the Baltimore Convention.
which nominated Abraham Lincoln for a
second term, is still remembered
Tom Marshall was fond of saying "that
he and Rev DR.. Breckenridge early in life
had taken different texts Toms 'fwas the
bottle and DR.. Breckenridge's was the Bible"
and certainly, added Tom, "the reverend
doctor viii not deny that have close adj
hered to my text
In the county in which the immortal Tom
chiefly practiced at the bar an cratic iurist
named Judge Nuttle presided and whenever
Dan Rice's circus arrived the Judge always
announced:
This court will now adjourn to see the
elephant swim the Ohio river"
BORROWING OF THE JUDGE.
In the cause celebre, where the defendant
was tried for murder, possibly the Matt
Ward case, thu Judge admitted some testi-
mony which thoroughly disguised Tom Mar
shall over the barrister's objections. He
jumped to his feet, not fully recovered
from big game of draw poker the night
before, and said in anger:
Judge, do you know that Pontius Plate
convicted Jesus Christ by admitting just
such testimony as thatl"
The Judge quickly replied: "Clerk, fine
Mr.. Marshall $50 for contempt of COURT
Tom rose, and, steadying his somewhat
vibratory motions against the railing 'front.'
ing the Judges bench, with mock gravity
opened:
MAY it please your honor! 1t has been
some months since have seen $50 of my
own money. beg your honor to lend me
the money with which to pay the finel"
THE court" was astounded, but catching
its judicial breath, replied, soto voce:
Mr.. Clerk, upon reflection, the court is
inclined to remit Tom Marshall's fine, as the
State of Kentucky is better able to lose that
$50 than the court isl"
To return to Judge Carpenter He held
Office as disbursing Treasury agent in Chi
cago under Buchanan, and espoused the
Union side during the war. In a street
encounter with a Kentuckian in Covington,
who had taken mortal offense at something
Carpenter had said in some pyrotechnic
flight of his untamed oratory, Carpenter
was shot through the body with bullet
from navy revolver, but after being given
up for dead rapidly recovered, and made as
many and as formidable stump speeches for
the Kentucky Democracy as he did before
he lay at deaths door
Carpenter did not need reconstructing,
but went South with the war tide of migra-
ton seeking fortune, and was made judge
IN Columbia, s. c., of one of the State
courts. He was an inveterate faro player
from the days of his youth, and the green
baize table had the same fascination for the
eloquent Kentuckian that a cooking main
possesses for the sporting citizen of Georgia
Or South Carolina. 1t is told of Judge Car
PN44VNl NoLS gu httIdtiil ACCURACY Vi bHb
story do not vouch for) that, while on the
bench, venerable 'gambolier" OF Columbia
arrested his colored servant, the faro table
lookout for stealing $500 worth of blue
chips
The case came on for trial The learned
Judge professed entire ignorance of the
character and value of the blue 'ivory,"
and told the aged sport he was at a loss to
hx the exact value Of the blue but valuable
Wis TIn al hlo,s
'wyaxed indignant. "Jedge," he said, ''what's
tne use of you're a-foolin. Many a time
you've coppered the ace in my place and
right well you know what's the value of
them ere blue chips"
The chop-fallen disciple of Blackstone
and exponent of values asked no more ques-
lions in that case.
A MAN OF LEARNING.
Judge Carpenter in spite Of his sporting
pIochvltles, is a gentleman of real learning,
capital diner out and an ever-welconle
uaDltne of the Washington clubs. He hes
always been close TO ex-senator Steve Dor
sey, ana cut respectable figure in the star
route trials OF Dorsey's side. Carpenter,
SINCE the exit of Arthdr's administration,
nus gone back to South Carolina and has
SUBSIDIZED from tho public gaze, but is likely
So li,eVelop into roaring Cleveland man in
.ooo Dut for his devotion 70 the faro table
'ie Judge, who is man of infinite humor,
ausslilg address, n good scholar and ripe
nMyer, would have been at the very head
anu 'front.' Of his profession inc law In the